Effective Communication in the Pre-Operative Environment

Abstract

Introduction: Building a strong patient rapport is a founding principle instilled early on in medical education. For many specialties, this relationship can be developed through repeated encounters. However, anesthesiologists are limited in opportunity for which such rapport can be built. Therefore, it is critical that the pre-operative visit is used effectively to develop a strong patient-physician relationship and help relieve patient anxiety. Methods: The primary objective of this study was to determine what communication aspects are most important to patients in the pre-operative period. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the effectiveness of our current communication practices and their impact on patient's anxiety. This study was an anonymous and voluntary survey conducted in the pre-operative area prior to elective surgical cases at Mayo Clinic Arizona from Dec. 2018-Jan. 2019. Patients completed a one-page questionnaire ranking the importance of various communication aspects and its subsequent impact on their anxiety level. Results: Of the communication qualities evaluated, patients most valued their physician's thoroughness and ability to describe their anesthetic plan. Greater than 95% of patients felt "very satisfied" with their anesthesia provider encounter and on a 1 -5 point scale, with 5 being the highest, there was an average reduction of 0.75 in anxiety level after completion of the anesthesia interview. Conclusion: Incorporation of and improving these communication aspects during your pre-operative evaluation can help improve rapport, reduce patient anxiety, and improve the patient's overall experience. Implementing a communication-focused curriculum during training may prove beneficial in improving resident's effectiveness in communicating.

“You Never Get a Second Chance”: First Impressions of Physicians Depend on Their Body Posture and Gender

“…On the other hand, the stills reduced potential confounding effects related to physicians’ voice and gestures and helped to focus our study on the main relationships of interest – the link between body postures, gender, and the first impression that is formed of a physician. In this sense, static screenshots represent face-valid stimuli for accumulating evidence on how first impressions are formed based on body postures in high-paced environments such as the pre-operative environments ( Decar et al, 2020 ). Also, in times of rising demand for telehealth, the computer-based setup (instead of a face-to-face setting) might have added an element of ecological validity.…”

“…How a patient perceives his or her physician influences the extent to which information is shared and whether the doctor-patient communication succeeds to promote patient satisfaction, compliance, and, ultimately, health outcomes ( Beck et al, 2002 ; Ha and Longnecker, 2010 ). First impressions set the stage for a successful doctor-patient interaction (DPI), in particular when encounters are brief due to time pressure and/or when physician and patient meet only once (e.g., in a pre-operative environment) ( Decar et al, 2020 ).…”